1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a processing apparatus and a use management method for authenticating through collating an input of identification code with an identification code stored in advance, reading biometrics information from an entry process made when the authentication has been admitted and storing the biometrics information in a first storage area of a storage unit, collating biometrics information read from the succeeding entry process with the biometrics information stored in the first storage area, conducting a process based on the entry process with the authenticated identification code when the collation result is conformity, and erasing the biometrics information stored in the first storage area of the storage unit when the collation result is disconformity.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image processing apparatus (a processing apparatus) such as a copy machine or a composite office machine is known for authenticating through accepting an identification code such as a department code thus to manage the use of the apparatus with respect to users, use states etc. For example, an image processing apparatus comprises a function of permitting or inhibiting the copying process by collating an input of department code at the entry process in use with a department code which has been registered in advance and a function of recording the number of copies for each department or the like.
Another image processing apparatus is proposed where the fingerprint of a user is read and collated with its fingerprint registered in advance for authentication and thus determining either permission or inhibition of the use of the apparatus (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-255795). Since the anther image processing apparatus is capable of collating the department code through accepting the fingerprint, its operability can be improved in use.
The permission of use determined by the identification code such as a department code is not canceled before the stop button is turned on by the user who has entered the department code or a predetermined time has elapsed after the permission. This will produce a drawback that, once the permission of use has been granted to the user who entered the department code, it can be used by another user who enters no department code.
For solving the drawback, we, the applicants, have proposed a method of detecting the change of one user to another from the biometrics information such as fingerprints thus to prevent any unauthenticated use by using the department code of an authenticated user. However, the method is unfavorable when any other user than the authenticated user (an original user) uses the apparatus temporarily by conducting an interrupt process or an operation assist process, because it requires the re-authentication of the original user with the department code as well as the storage of its biometrics information when the temporal use by the other user has been completed.